Possibility
by ShadowFox197
Summary: Adrien and Marinette are flying from New York to Paris and have 8 hours to kill...and much to share. AU where Adrien and Marinette are strangers (kinda?) and no super powers. Enjoy the fluff!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** HELLO! Welcome to this short fluff story! Enjoy!

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He was already twenty minutes late for his flight. Of course, being first class meant that he didn't really _need_ to be there on time; first class boarded over half an hour before takeoff.

He was still panicking though.

It was vital that he made it to this flight; he wanted to go home.

Home for the first time in four years.

However, amidst the dodging of other passengers and luggage, the young man really wasn't thinking about home. He was thinking more about how pissed he would be if he missed his flight.

Hence he almost stalked past the boarding gate.

If the little girl with the sparkling pink backpack hadn't mentioned "Paris" in that exact moment, he might have gone straight through the wall.

But she did, and so he turned.

"Mr. Agreste?" An attendant asked, hand extending for his boarding pass.

Adrien eagerly supplied the document, dipping into his suit jacket to retrieve the rumpled paper.

A moment later and he was a sardine in the tunnel leading up into the airplane, mentally pleading for fresh air. He didn't usually get to experience the "All class" cabin of American flights, and thus was a bit ruffled by the proximity of a redheads' precariously positioned Doritos to his black suit.

They were moving again though, so he strategically moved his rolling suitcase between himself and the child to avoid a possible catastrophe.

Relief overcame him when the bland numbering along the airplane aisle way came into view. He sighed, deflating slightly with a smile.

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A young woman sat frowning, half-heartedly trying to recline her seat. Drawing pencils and a sketchbook had already laid claim to the majority of her seat cushion.

She sighed again, moving to the side of the chair to get a better angle.

Just as she was crouching down, a man stumbled into her, knocking her sideways.

"I am so sorry!" He shouted, arms widely adjusting the tipping bags around him.

"It's fine," the young woman said, lips pursed in irritation. She still couldn't get the seat to move.

He chuckled awkwardly, squeezing past her to the seat beyond with another whispered 'sorry.'

She sighed, giving her seat another bullish shove. "This stubborn thing just doesn't want to move-"

"There's actually a button on the arm rest," the man said, pointing to the indicated button a little unnecessarily.

"Oh," she said, straightening up. She glanced over at the man, lips pausing. She blushed, straightening her skirt. "Thanks."

He chuckled again, arm resting on the window sill. "I'm surprised the flight attendant didn't come out and help you. They must be getting lax…" his eyes wandered over to the front of the plane, where not ten feet from him a brunette flight attendant stood, an obvious smirk contorting her features.

 _The hell?_ The young man thought, giving the attendant a weird look.

She winked at him, turning away with a twist.

His mouth went agape. _What is with these Americans?!_ He thought furiously.

The intercom buzzed.

" _Everyone please take their seat. The passenger door is now sealed and we will be taking off shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts and await safety instructions. Thank you_."

"That took me longer than I thought," Adrien mumbled, reaching for his seatbelt _. I must have been the last one on!_

"Security these days, am I right?" Adrien chuckled awkwardly.

The young woman snorted, momentarily making eye contact with him. "I got here over two hours early and I still felt rushed getting through," she breathed, absently tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I thought they said the lines were getting better too," she muttered, rummaging through a pencil case.

Adrien chuckled heartily, absently noting the sketchbook crammed into the seat pocket in front of her.

"Do you draw?" Adrien blurted, realizing a moment too late that he was being nosy.

"Kind of," the woman's nose scrunched up a bit. To Adrien's relief she didn't seem irritated. "I mainly just doodle designs for clothes. I like sewing."

"Oh, that's cool." Adrien trailed off. "I'm a notoriously horrible sewer."

The woman snorted. "Most men I know have never even tried sewing. Kudos to you for defying the odds."

Adrien raised an eyebrow slowly, feeling a smile creeping onto his face. "Thanks." He said. "What's your name?"

"Marinette." She said, briefly looking up from her rummaging to make eye contact with him. She smiled. "What's yours?"

"Adrien."

"Well it's nice to meet you Adrien."

"And to you as well, _Mademoiselle_."

She barked out a laugh. "Oh my gosh! I haven't had someone call me that in ages. It's so good to hear French."

Adrien smiled with her. "Well it will be good to be home again, won't it?" He paused. "Paris is your final destination, right?"

"Yeah," she gave a content sigh. "Four years away and not a single visit home! I miss my parents."

"I miss Paris." Adrien said. "Not that New York is awful or anything…but it'll be nice to see my old friends again." He paused. "If they remember me."

"Oh don't worry about that." She waved away his remark. "They'll remember. And if not, make new friends."

Adrien barked out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If they can't remember me after four years then I guess they never really were a friend after all."

Marinette's mouth was contorted halfway between a smile and a frown. "That's a bit of a morbid way of looking at it. But oddly truthful as well."

"Yeah well," Adrien trailed off. "Four years in the fashion industry is a long time," he chuckled. "People change. Trust me."

"No kidding," she smiled. "I'm a designer for Zara." She paused. "Or was. I just got a job offer from the Agreste Fashion company." Her vision clouded momentarily, then refocused on him. "That reminds me, I should probably send an email to-oh never mind. I don't want to think about work right now." She gave him another smile. "You said you were in fashion too?"

"Yeah." Adrien smirked. "Funny you mention the Agreste Company. I work for them."

Marinette's eyes blew wide. "Really? Oh my god what's it like? Is Mr. Agreste super critical? Does he boot out bad designers after one flunked show?"

"No, not really," Adrien replied, inwardly cackling at the coincidence. This wouldn't be the last time he would see her. "He only hires talented people, so people are rarely let go. And though he's strict, his criticism is always constructive. So don't worry." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Oh." She blinked a couple of times. "I guess that's good. I'm just worried that he won't like my work. Or my style. Or how I look-"

"-You'll be fine, Marinette." Adrien chuckled. "Plus, I'll be there if things get too nasty."

She blushed, mouth slightly agape.

Adrien stared. Had he said something wrong?

"That's reassuring," Marinette finally said, shyly making eye contact. "Are you a designer too?"

"Oh god no," Adrien snorted. "I can't even draw a straight line, much less something people would be willing to wear."

She giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand. "So what do you do then?"

"I model," Adrien said, roughly scratching the back of his neck.

If possible, her eyes blew wider. "Oh." She said. She blinked. "I can see why."

Adrien gave her a questioning look but decided against pushing her.

She answered her own question though.

"Well I mean, just look at yourself-your eyes are like gorgeous, and you're tall _and_ muscly, which is like-" she cut herself off, looking around. "That was creepy. Sorry."

Adrien gave a strained smile, trying vehemently not to burst out laughing.

"I get that a lot, actually." He said. "You could be a model too, if I do dare say so myself," he smirked.

"No," she batted the comment away with her hand, shaking her head.

"No, really," Adrien insisted. "You've got the body type. Even if you're not super tall-"

"-I'm 5'2"" Marinette interjected.

"-you've got a cute face." Adrien paused at her expression.

Marinette stared, face frozen in such a way that Adrien couldn't tell if she was flattered or insulted. Or perhaps both.

"Thank you?" She finally said.

"You're welcome?" he replied.

Then they burst out laughing.

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 **Author's Note:** Please let me know what you think! I am always open to constructive criticism and feedback! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Nude bodies were splayed across the page, male and female models striking different poses and angles. There were dozens of them, filling page after page after page…

He blinked, frozen.

"Oh," she said. "Those are for reference." She took the book and flipped a few pages more. "Here's where the designs start."

 _Reference?_ Adrien thought, still caught up in her last statement. _Reference for what?_ She was hardly blushing!

 _References for modeling, you idiot_ , the voice in the back of his head insisted. But the intricate detail of their figures stood out in her mind.

She _definitely_ had an eye for detail.

"Whoa," he said, stopping her from flipping the page. "Is that a cat onesie?"

"Oh, yeah" she said, smiling. "I like designing clothes for little kids in my free time. It's not really a part of my job but..." she trailed off. "Animal concepts are just so fun to work with."

"And cute too," Adrien pointed out. "You said you mainly design clothes for adults thought, right?"

"Yeah," she said, biting her lip. "That's more in this section…" she flipped to another part of the sketchbook, overloaded with color.

Adrien took the sketchbook from her lap, marveling at the intricacy and fine strokes of each item.

"Jeez," he said. "All these could be runway items."

She laughed sharply, pulling the book back into her lap. "I don't know about that," she trailed off, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

Adrien paused, scrutinizing her. "How do you feel about men's clothes?"

She snorted. "How do I _feel_ about them? I don't know…I mean, I don't mind designing them, but they're definitely not as fun as female clothes, if you know what I mean."

Adrien nodded thoughtfully. "I thought you'd say that. Regardless," he stretched one arm over his head, "Would you want to be my runway designer? Or one of them," he corrected himself. "I have a few different designers that I model for…"

She gaped at him. "Are you serious?" Seeing him nod his head, she let out an excited shriek. "I would love to!"

He smirked. "I'll ask Mr. Agreste as soon as we land."

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Adrien hesitated, unsure if he should disturb her.

"Hey," Adrien said with a gentle nudge to her shoulder. "Do you want this closed?" he tapped the privacy curtain stationed between them.

She yawned a little lethargically, limbs moving sluggishly underneath the blanket.

"No, I like looking out the window," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

He smiled. "Yeah, me too," he whispered.

The entire plane was dark, save for the emergency lights and the starlight. Other passengers snored quietly (or not so quietly) around them, oblivious to the constellations above them and the rocking ocean below.

Marinette smiled back at Adrien, and the air felt heavy in that moment. Their eye contact lasted too long, but it was comfortable.

And then they closed their eyes.

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 **Author's Note:** Heh, super short chapter, but this story is honestly just a bunch of one-shots in the same universe, so...yeah. I hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you think and what I can improve on! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

"- my gosh I am so sorry! I am such a _klutz_ that was really careless of me, and that was such a _nice shirt_ I swear I will get you a new one – a better one – as soon as we land, I promise," Marinette blubbered, smashing a stack of napkins against the stain on the surprised man's shirt.

Adrien's eyes blinked open, the bright morning light momentarily blinding him. It took him a moment to process the fact that the tightly-skirted ass, not two feet from his face, was Marinette's, and that it was currently bobbing with each of her movements as she crouched over the man sitting opposite them in the aisle, hurriedly dabbing away at the man's not-so-pristine white shirt, now stained with coffee.

Adrien blinked again, clearing his thoughts enough to hear the man's muted reply.

"It's nothing," he was saying weakly, hands fluttering awkwardly above Marinette's as he debated what to do. "Really that's quite unnecessary, Miss. Thank you for offering another, but I have dozens of shirts just like it-"

"But it's an _Agreste_ shirt," Marinette practically hissed. "I need to repay you for this."

The man blinked, owlish eyes growing wide behind his circle-rimmed glasses. "Okay," he squeaked, seeming to shrink into himself. "It's really no problem though…" he muttered.

Marinette's eyes hardened into a glare, but the acidity was lost by the rest of her complexion. A poor sleep was apparent by the dark rings hugging her eyes, half-smudged mascara, and awkward blush from where her cheek had been pressed against the headrest.

And her hair was an absolute mess. What used to be an elegant bun now resembled the nest of some woodland creature gone mad, strands of dark hair sticking every which way.

She self-consciously gave her hair a pat, perhaps sensing Adrien's observation.

And yet she still terrified her coffee-stained neighbor.

"Just remind me when we get off the plane," Marinette quipped, whipping a business card out of who-knows-where. "Here's my phone number too if I forget." _Or you're too scared to remind me,_ her tone said.

The man hurriedly took it from her, giving Marinette an unsure smile as he stood up to get another (Agreste) shirt from his bag stored overhead.

Marinette watched him for moment before sitting down, taking another full moment to realize that everyone within 20 aisles had been awoken by the little mishap.

And then she blushed scarlet.

"Whoops," she whispered, pulling her thin blanket over her head.

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"That's a good color of lipstick for you." Adrien observed.

Her eyes whipped over to his, arm pausing mid-stroke to regard him, lips puffed and poised.

Her compact snapped shut, her mouth still open. "Thanks," she said, uncertainly staring at him.

Adrien gave another nod, noticing that he was leaning rather precariously towards her but not caring.

"Did you…want-?" She started, confused.

"No, I don't want it." Adrien interjected. _Unless,_ he thought. _You put it on me_. "I'm just fascinated by the female makeup process." He said instead. "It still manages to amaze me." He propped his chin up on one of his fists, regarding her intensely.

She stared back at him. "Okay," she whispered. She glanced around, hand still hovering near her lips.

"I'm just doing this out here because the bathroom's really cramped and there's a line so…" she trailed off, not meeting his eyes.

His eyes blew wide. Something snapped in him; he sensed the electric tension in the air. And it was because of _him_.

 _Shit_ , Adrien thought. "I am so sorry. That…that sounded really creepy. I did not mean to creep you out like that."

Marinette sighed, relief evident. "It's no problem," she breathed, eyes crinkling merrily. "Makeup is very fascinating."

 _Saved!_ Adrien thought. He heaved a sigh of relief.

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 **AN:** I've come to the conclusion that this should (perhaps) expand beyond the airport (heheh). What do you guys think? Also, sorry for making Adrien kinda creepy in this chapter. It just kinda...happened... And thank you for all the lovely reviews and follows! They make me feel so loved and are FABULOUS encouragement to continue writing. Thank you for your support!


	4. Chapter 4

"Where'd that pencil go…" Marinette muttered, looking warily around her for the lost item. Pencils and pens were scattered haphazardly around her person, most finding home on her lap, a finger's length away from her sketchpad. All, except the one she wanted.

Adrien immediately snapped to attention at her voice, the newspaper he had been reading forgotten.

His eyes zeroed in on her surrounding area, hawkishly scanning over her to…find the pencil, obviously.

And find it he did.

Between her legs.

He quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to be caught staring at her. Or at least, _not staring up her skirt._

 _Of all places_ , he mentally cursed himself. How did he tell her?

 _'It's caught in your crotch?'_

 _'In the sides of your skirt?'_

Those both sounded awful…

Grimacing, Adrien hesitantly cleared his throat, willing the blush on his cheeks to _go fuck itself elsewhere._

"Uh…I think it slid from your lap to uh…" Adrien made vague swatting motions with his hands. "Down," he finally said, meeting Marinette's perplexed look.

Marinette's gaze moved from Adrien's face to her lap, where she stared for a moment, before noticing the tip of her pencil peeking out from the edge of her skirt.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, immediately seizing the pencil. "Thank you Mr. Agreste."

"Just Adrien." Adrien coughed into his collar.

She made a bemused noise before looking up from her sketch to fix her eyes on Adrien. "Just…Adrien?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Well, aren't we making progress," she hummed in a sweet voice, waggling her eyebrows at him.

Adrien made a bit of a choking noise, _really_ wishing that she would stop making faces like that at him.

Adrien swallowed heavily, berating himself for getting so worked up over a _fucking pencil_ , or rather, the positioning of the pencil, his subconscious reminded him.

 _Fucking perfect_ , Adrien chided himself. _It's not even eight o'clock in the morning, you're halfway to a boner, and you're not even friends with her._

Another frustrated groan escaped his lips as he moved the newspaper he had been reading to a more…proper…position, desperately looking for something to ground him in the surrounding cloudscape that did _not_ remind him of Marinette.

And he was finding it excruciatingly difficult.

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Why the _fuck_ did she have to have such a nice ass?

And why was it always _right there_ when he looked up?

Adrien was beginning to think that Marinette had a chronic issue with dropping her pencils on the floor, for it seemed that at least _once_ every five minutes she was on her hands and knees, ass in the air, groping around on the floor for one of them.

And of course, he _always_ stared. (He wasn't alone, he noted with a quick glance around the cabin.)

Not everyone had front row seats, however, like Adrien.

And it was for that reason that Adrien found it immensely distracting whenever she went on one of her little endeavors, pencil skirt riding precariously up her thighs to show _just enough_ pale skin -

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat rather obviously. Someone very close to Adrien. His head whipped around 180 degrees to the flight attendant standing next to him in the aisle, one of her eyebrows raised.

Adrien instantly blushed.

It was _her_ , the one he had a sneaking suspicious was up to something _besides_ getting him drinks and blankets. And damn, did she _know_ that she had caught him oogling Marinette's ass.

Adrien gave a sheepish smile, mind racing to find any way to deny what had obviously been going on for the past half-hour.

"Enjoying the view?" she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear. She poured Adrien another cup of coffee, not bothering to ask if he wanted any; that's not why she was there.

"Yes," Adrien said with a cough. He glanced to the window, where some green hills were just becoming visible through the clouds. "The countryside here is very beautiful."

"Very large _hills_ ," the flight attendant agreed, with a wink, already walking away. "Enjoy the view, Sir."

Adrien's blush deepened as he contemplated the meaning of the flight attendant's innuendo.

Hesitantly he stole another glance towards Marinette, who at that moment found her lost pencil, beaming.

"Got it!" She said with a radiant smile.  
Adrien gave her a withered thumbs-up before disappearing behind his newspaper once again, drowning in his own blush.

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 **Author's Note:** I, uh…low-key forgot I mentioned Alya in the first chapter (as the flight attendant), so naturally, I had to put some more Alya sass in here. Nino will come later…

And yes, I KNOW that they're on a first name basis, but that doesn't mean they're chums quite yet. Marinette's teasing Adrien a bit when she calls him "Mr. Agreste," and apparently Adrien can't handle that… Let me know if you guys have ideas for what you want to go on once they land in Paris~


	5. Chapter 5

"So what's your plan for your first day back in Paris?" Adrien questioned in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. The effect might have been achieved had he not tried the "casual lean" on the arm rest (and failed at it). They were about a half-hour from landing, most passengers idling zoning out on the glazed windows to catch glimpses of the greening countryside.

"Sleeping," Marinette snorted. "I'm going to be on the wrong time zone for _at least_ a week, so I might as well use that as an excuse to sleep an unacceptable amount of time," she said with a smile.

"That's not a bad idea," Adrien conceded, nodding his head. "I might just copy you…"

"Naps are so underappreciated," Marinette said with a sigh. "I usually take one in the middle of the day," she paused, seeming to consider something before going completely stiff for a moment.

"Will they let me take naps at Agreste?" She whispered, eyes widening in horror.

Adrien chuckled, uncertain if she was joking. "Uh, probably not," he said truthfully. "I mean, if you're at work, you're supposed to, you know, _work_."

"-Oh my god I never even asked about hours," Marinette breathed, seeming to ignore him, her eyes widening as her panic increased. "I can only work at night…"

Adrien stared, a twinge of concerned for her predicament growing in his chest. "I'm sure you can work something out. I mean, there are tons of designers that are part-time. Mr. Agreste accommodates for their schedules pretty flexibly. I'm sure he'll do the same for you."

" _Yeah_ , but I have no excuse," Marinette practically shrieked. "I don't have another job that I need time for - I just don't like getting up before 10 in the morning!"

 _How the hell did you survive in school?_ Adrien thought, genuinely baffled by her comment.

Adrien shook his head to clear the thought. "Regardless, I'm sure Mr. Agreste will be understanding. He'll want to make sure you're in the best environment for your success, and if that means you only work at night, then so be it. He'll accommodate for you," he repeated.

"You seem awfully certain about that," she said skeptically, one hand massaging her temple.

"Well I _am_ his son," Adrien pointed out with a light chuckle. "I'd like to think that I know him pretty well."

One blue eye appeared from below her arm, skepticism and mirth playing for dominance in her expression.

"True…" she drawled, throwing her arm down onto her lap. "I guess I'll have to trust you, _Adrien_ ," she said with an exaggerated sigh.

"That's not a bad thing," Adrien chuckled, glancing over to her.

"Ah but my naps depend on your honesty," she said gravely, half lidded eyes sliding over to his. "I'll hold you to your promise, _seriously_ ," she said, noting his smirk. "If I have to work before 10…" her threat trailed off into a pout. "I don't know. Something bad will happen to your toothbrush."

Adrien's eyebrows knit. "Okay," he said. "Was that a threat? Or were you just inviting yourself into my apartment?"

A pause.

"Uh," Adrien started, instantly regretting his words. _What the fuck was that!_

"Perhaps," she said with an elusive smile.

And like that, the switch flipped.

Adrien's breath caught in the back of his throat, eliciting a rather unattractive gurgle from the man.

" _What?_ "

"Oh, nothing," Marinette said, idly carding through the corners of her notebook. "I _would_ be interested in seeing your wardrobe. Which is at your apartment, I assume?" she asked in a honeyed voice.

"Y-yeah," Adrien managed, loosening his collar. Already illicit fantasies were burning bridges in his mind, throwing his sanity out the window. Marinette, in his apartment?! _Now?!_

"Just for _reference_ , as one of your designers, of course." She said with a barbed smile. She might as well have stuck her tongue out at him. Immediately nude sirens took the stage of Adrien's mind, Marinette's "reference" drawings from before making their rude entrance.

"O-of course," Adrien instantly agreed, glancing away from the heat of her burning irises.

 _I'm fucked._

He swallowed thickly, idly willing the flame-throwing demons from his mind.

 _This is not going to work AT ALL._

 _FUCK._

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"Fuck! What do you mean they're _gone_?"

"Well, more like they were never on the plane," the woman squinted down at the computer skeptically, glasses slowly sliding down her nose. If she was bothered by Marinette's sudden burst of profanity, she didn't show it; perhaps the normalcy of the situation and an ocean of patience left the assistant unfazed.

"So all my suitcases are back in New York? _Still?_ " Marinette's voice rose shrilly.

"Aside from your carry-ons, yes," the woman said, regretfully making eye contact with the fuming woman. "I'm really sorry, Miss. We will get them to you as quickly as possible-"

"How soon?" Marinette interrupted.

"The next flight, hopefully," she said, typing something into the computer. "Unless it's full…" She paused. "How many bags do you have?"

"Eight."

Her mouth stretched a little thinly. "Do you want them all to come together, or…?" She trailed off.

"I want them as soon as possible," Marinette replied, a bit snippish. She paused. "I don't care if they're all together," she conceded, dragging a hand through her tangled hair. She glanced behind her nervously, checking to see if Adrien was still waiting there. He was, idly humming something and rocking back and forth. _Why_ he was there, was another question. It probably had to do with some chivalry thing where he had to make sure she got her bags.

Which were _suspiciously absent_ at the carousel. _Fuck Airlines_ , Marinette thought idly.

"So they might come in batches?" Marinette asked.

"Most likely," the assistant said, clacking away at the keyboard. "All the flights from New York are completely booked for the next week, so it'll be pretty hard trying to squish them on…"

Marinette's lips tightened, and she glanced away again.

"I really need them by Monday," she finally said.

The woman glanced up again, tenderness and pain evident in her small smile. "We'll try. Can I have an address to send them to?"

"Yeah," Marinette said, grabbing the offered pen and paper and scribbling down her parent's address. "Thanks for all the help."

"No problem," the woman said, taking the slip of paper. "I'll contact you as soon as they come in."

"Thanks," Marinette said again, taking a step back from the counter with a small sigh.

"Well, this is great." Marinette said upon reaching Adrien. "They were never even on the plane!"

"Oh," Adrien grimaced. "That's bad. You don't like…need them right now though do you?"

"All my clothes are in there," Mariette shrugged. "I don't even have a clean shirt here in Paris."

"Ohhhhh…." Adrien's grimaced widened.

"My mom will have something I can wear," Marinette shrugged again. "If it _fits_ is another matter…"

They lapsed into silence, Adrien rolling his cart piled high with suitcases alongside Marinette, who carried the only two she had, her carry-ons.

"All my work I need to show to your Dad is in there too," Marinette mumbled. "And I'm seeing him Monday," she said a bit sadly. "I don't think he'll appreciate it if I just show him the dress designs and crappy pictures from my phone."

Adrien frowned, clearly disliking his friend's state (could he call her a friend now? How long had he know her? 8 hours?).

"I'm sure he'll understand," Adrien said sympathetically. "He can't blame you for something that's not your fault."

"Yeah, I know," Marinette, switching which her shoulder her bag was slung over. "But I can't help but feel like this won't make the best first impression."

Adrien hummed in response, drumming his fingers on the handle bar of his luggage cart. "With any luck they'll come in by Monday."

Marinette snorted. "Yeah, fat chance of that. I am _very_ unlucky when it comes to things like this."

"What, situational issues?" he asked.

"I'm a total clutz, you saw that already," she laughed lightly. "And when I need something to work, it just…doesn't," she finished.

"But you're lucky with other things?" Adrien asked, his curiosity piqued.

She chuckled, shifting her bag again before glancing over to him. "Yeah, you could say that. I mean, I met you."

Instantly a warmth blossomed in Adrien's chest and he smiled, too widely perhaps. "So you don't mind me latching onto you like a leech after having just met you?"

"Not at all," Marinette said with a warm smile. "And I'd say you're more a kitten than a leech."

"Kitten?" Adrien asked, one eyebrow raising. "Why? And please don't say because I'm cute."

"You're not cute," Marinette deadpanned. "You're fucking gorgeous."

Adrien's jaw dropped and a slow breath leaked out of him, more like a wheeze.

She carried on however, seemingly oblivious to his crippled state. "Besides, I said you're like a kitten because you look much cuddlier than a leech, and your eyes are like _freakishly_ luminescent."

"Oh." Adrien said, coughing to regain his voice. "Thank you?"

"You're welcome," Marinette nodded, a hint of sarcasm in her stance. "Now shall we be on our way?" She asked, gesturing to the lines of cars crawling by the curb outside.

"I think we shall," Adrien said, nodding back at her.

Together they exited the airport, their luggage bumping together as they squeezed out the door, into the smoky air and noisy bustling of Paris.

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 **Author's Note:** So Nino and Alya will come back, possibly next chapter and if not then, then the next. I'm sorry if Marinette seems overly bold in this chapter, but I'm making her weirdly shy and then super blunt when I need her to :) Thanks so much to Miraculous Potterhead for the great idea in this chapter~ If you guys have any feedback for me or requests for where this story should go, please feel free to let me know! Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Eh, this chapter is three times longer than the others but it all goes together so I didn't want to break up the flow. Sorry if long chapters annoy you :P Enjoy!

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They were standing just outside the airport doors, the luggage cart parked stoically in front of them; Adrien gripped the handles of the cart tightly. The bustle of cars and people swayed them gently as they inhaled the forgotten smoky fragrance of Parisian air.

It all seemed distant, hazy even.

"I guess I'll see you…at work?" She broke the silence, saying it almost like a question. The uncertainty of her voice made it waver, dissipating into the background noise.

"Yeah," Adrien instantly agreed, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "When do you start again?"

"Next Monday," Marinette smiled. "That gives me a week to recover and…sort things out."

"Oh." Adrien said, disappointed that it wasn't earlier. "That's good you're not starting…this Monday…which is today…" he amended, with a quick glance to his phone. He grimaced. _That was awkward._

"Yeah," she chuckled, shifting her purse to her other shoulder, then flexing her fingers on the strap. "That would be kind of miserable, to be honest." She gave him another quick smile. "But uh…" she glanced over his shoulder, to the traffic buzzing by.

"Here's my number," Adrien said suddenly, thrusting a business card at her. "If you need anything in the next week. Or at work. I'll be there," he said with a hesitant smile.

"Thanks," she breathed with a smile, accepting the card with a delicate hand. "I actually, uh," she glanced over his shoulder again, "need to get a taxi. My parents are expecting me pretty soon…"

"I need a taxi too," Adrien said, rushing to push his luggage cart alongside her. "Do you live far?"

"Kind of?" She said with a quirk of her brow, falling in step with him. "Really close to the Eiffel tower, actually."  
"What a coincidence," Adrien said with a smirk. "I live right around there too. Do you want to share a taxi?"

"Sure," Marinette said with a shrug. "It'll be cheaper that way."

 _And I'll get to spend more time with you,_ they thought.

Adrien hailed down a cab with relative ease, only having to do a mock-chicken dance for a few seconds to get one's attention.

"Hey," the cabbie said, sliding out from his seat. He wore baggy clothes with a red baseball cap, headphones circling his neck. "You guys need a ride?"

"Yes, please," Marinette said, stretching her lips wide. The man took a moment to consider Adrien's mountain of luggage, lips pursed as he calculated its rough volume. "It should fit," he finally conceded. "The person in the back seat may be squished, but…" he trailed off, giving a shrug.

Adrien mirrored the man's shrug, moving to grab one of his bags to unceremoniously dump it into the back seat.

Marinette hurriedly followed suit, lugging the two bags of her own into the trunk.

A minute later, Adrien clambered into the back seat, shielding his head from the precariously positioned bags.

"The sacrifice has been made," the cabbie muttered, taking one look at Adrien's uncomfortable form. Marinette smirked, touched by Adrien's courtesy.

"Alright," the cabbie said, clapping his hands together to get their attention. "So what's the address?"

"Uh," they both started.

"Different addresses, actually," Marinette piped up. "We're not…" she trailed off.

The cabbie raised an eyebrow, looking between them in disbelief. "Alright," he said again, slowly, giving Marinette a pointed look. "So what's the _first_ address?"

"It's one one-" Marinette started.

"Just type it in," the cabbie interrupted, swiveling the GPS her way.

"O-kay," Marinette said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Adrien cleared his throat from the back seat, making eye contact with Marinette in the review mirror to give their driver a questioning look. Marinette gave a slight shrug, punching her address into the GPS.

Not a second later, loud pop music blared over the car's speakers, frazzling Marinette and Adrien alike. Eyes wide, they glanced at each other again, panicked expressions mirroring one another.

 _Well this will be interesting,_ they thought simultaneously.

"I hope you guys don't mind my mixtape," their cabbie commented gruffly, turning a corner a _little_ too tightly for comfort.

"Oh, it's…fine." Adrien said after a moment of silence (save for the high-pitched solo in the current song).

"Yes, very…different," Marinette added. Not wanting to be impolite, she smiled, asking "you made this yourself?" with a wince.

"I mixed it, yeah," he said with a proud smile. "I'm hoping to get to the radio station one day, once I find my way out this dump of a job."

"Oh," Marinette's mouth formed a small 'o.' "That's a good dream. _Right_ Adrien?" She asked, pleading with her eyes for him to participate and save her from her current position.

"Totally. A+ dream," Adrien said, nodding his head sagely. "I've always wanted to…make music…also…like you."

Marinette grimaced, giving Adrien a 'really?' look in the review mirror.

Adrien shrugged sheepishly, giving her a winning smile in an attempt to abate her contempt.

She rolled her eyes, focusing her attention back on the road ahead of them to double-check that they were going the right way.

"Oh, I actually live just up this road," Adrien said, breaking the silence.

"We should drop you off first them," the cabbie said, automatically taking the turn.

They pulled up to a luxury apartment complex a few minutes later, towering gold and blue above them in the afternoon sun.

"Well, this is me," Adrien said, stretching his legs out the open car door.

"Yeah," Marinette said, a bit hollowly. She opened her door and clambered out too, taking a moment to stretch her jet-lagged limbs. She then grabbed one of Adrien's bags to stack it on the curb along with the others.

After a neat stack of luggage was formed, Adrien turned to Marinette, regarding her.

"Thank you for the company," he began. "I sincerely enjoyed talking with you these past 8 hours or so. Longer than that," he grimaced, glancing at his watch again.

"Yeah," she glanced at the cab idling behind her, the driver giving her the evil eye. She shrugged, not really caring that she was delaying his schedule. "I guess I'll see you Monday?"

"Yeah, Adrien parroted," shrugging a little. "Unless…"

She instantly stilled, eyes looking up to his.

"You want to come up? For the wardrobe inspection?" Adrien posed hesitantly, a shy smile on his face.

A twin smile formed on her face, and she quickly glanced back at the cabbie, who seemed to have completely forgotten about them, judging by the dazed look on his face.

"Well, my parents are the type that know _exactly_ when I land…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "But…it's possible that I got stuck in traffic for…an hour?" She looked back up to him, and his eyes quickly flickered from her lips to her eyes.

"That seems plausible," he said quietly, lips trailing over his lower lip. "I'll get your bags-" Adrien practically pounced on the cab, startling the cabbie with a "What the hell man!" But Adrien didn't seem to mind, and the cabbie was much appeased when Adrien threw a wad of cash at him before slamming the door behind him, Marinette's bags in hand.

Marinette's eyes were rather wide when Adrien approached her, her own wallet in hand as she debated Adrien's actions. "How much do I owe…?"

"It's on me," Adrien cut her off, brushing past her to go into the apartment complex lobby.

"Are you sure-" she began.

"-Yep." He replied cryptically.  
"But I feel bad-"

"I don't," Adrien chuckled, turning around to look at her. "It's just a cab fare, don't sweat it."

Her eyebrows bunched together and a pout formed on her lips, but she grabbed two of his bags regardless and following him to the elevator, huffing when the golden doors opened.

"Thanks," she finally said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"The pleasure is all mine," Adrien said, tempted to bow but resisting the comical urge. He pressed the button for the top floor and watched the doors closed, their lethargic movement annoying him for some reason. He seemed to be charged with some kind of electricity that was making his whole body buzz.

"So," Marinette started, idly rocking from her toes to heels. "Modeling huh? What started that passion?"

He grimaced, "not really a passion. A job, that's all."

"Oh," she said, a small frown forming. "So you don't enjoy modeling?"

Adrien shook his head. "Not really. I mean, it's interesting work and not mentally taxing or anything, but it can get tiring and _very_ repetitive."

"Oh," she said again. "I can see that. So photo shoots are boring?"

"No, actually, quite the contrary. My photographer is very…enthusiastic, about his work, so I'm never without some strange topic on my mind."

Marinette chuckled. "And shows?"

Adrien smiled. "Everyone's running around like chickens with their heads cut off so it's very entertaining. I mean, everyone's stressed, but hyped in a good way."

The elevator dinged, the doors opening to reveal a wide hallway with scattered doors on each side, elegant paintings between dimmed lights.

"Whoa," Marinette said quietly. "What floor is this?"

"The 50th," Adrien replied. "I like skylights so I wanted to be on the top floor. Also I hate having people above me, because no matter what, you can hear them."

"True," she said, nodding.

Adrien unlocked one of the doors lining the hall, pushing the heavy door in to reveal a neatly furnished living room with a large sliding glass door leading out to a balcony.

Marinette stepped in hesitantly, smiling shyly as she passed him to go into the apartment.

"This is really nice," she breathed, turning in a slow circle to take in the view, the furniture, the hallway leading down to more rooms.

"Yeah, well they keep it pretty clean in here when I'm out," Adrien chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "It would be annoying if everything was covered in dust-"

"I can see my house from here!" Marinette suddenly exclaimed, face pressed against the glass by the balcony. "Oh my God we literally live 3 blocks away…that's crazy," she breathed, glancing over to him. "I can't believe I've never seen you before."

Adrien smiled back at her, a warm blush dusting his cheeks for some reason.

"That is crazy," Adrien said, walking up to stand beside her. Her body seemed to be radiating heat. "Which house is yours?"

"That pink one over there," Marinette said, pointing to her parent's bakery. "Have you ever been to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery?"

"I, regretfully, must say that that is a no…" Adrien's eyes drifted from her face.

"Heh." Marinette turned to stick her tongue out at him. "Modeling diet?"

"Yep." Adrien said, eyes narrowing.

"Speaking of which," Marinette clapped her hands together. "How about we look at that wardrobe?"

"Ah, yeah," Adrien said, cheeks reddening again. "Actually everything's packed in my suitcases at the moment, so…"  
"Then let's unpack one," Marinette said with a smile, oblivious to the fact that she had just crushed Adrien's short lived dream. "I want to see this Agreste fashion! No," she breathed, throwing a hand dramatically over her forehead. "I _need_ to see it…"

"Follow me then," Adrien said, selecting one of his suitcases and turning down the hall, to what Marinette soon discovered was a bedroom.

Her eyebrows crept alarmingly high when she entered the positively massive room, adorned with burgundy and gold furnishings. A King-sized bed dominated the room, but the breathtaking view of the city out the floor-length windows couldn't be ignored either.  
"You've got a sweet set up here," Marinette smiled.

"Oh, yeah," Adrien said, looking up from his rummaging in his suitcase to look out the window briefly. "It's even more beautiful at night."

"I can imagine," Marinette sighed, walking slowly over to him. Another moment passed.

"So what exactly did you want to look at?" Adrien asked upon her approach, pulling his hands up to rest on his hips.

"Everything," she snorted, hands hovering over his garments. "Can I touch them?"

Adrien nodded instantly. "There wouldn't be much of a point if you couldn't," he muttered.

"Yeah…" Marinette drawled, gently pulling on a black leather jacket. "What season was this from?"

"Fall of last year," Adrien said, reaching out to tug on the sleeve. A quirky smile touched his lips. "I must confess; I have a thing for black leather."

"Good to know," Marinette wiggled her eyebrows at him, before discarding the garment to pull out a cuffed shirt.

"Do you think you could pull these all out and organize them by season?" Marinette asked, biting her lip. "I want to see the trend of how you guys are changing."

"Sure," Adrien said, unceremoniously dumping the case out on the bed. "That's a really good idea, actually. I'll put the older ones over here…"

A few minutes passed with Adrien delicately stretching out the clothes, Marinette watching him intently with a fist on her cheek.

After finishing with the sorting, Adrien stood up, dusting his hands on his pants to look over to Marinette, who was still deeply contemplating something. He remained quiet, not wanting to disturb her, but as the silence stretched on, he began to fidget.  
"Marinette…?" He finally asked, shattering the quiet.

"Huh?" She said, eyes blinking widely.

"You were just…standing there for a while…" Adrien said. "It was kind of creepy to be honest."

"Oh, sorry," Marinette chuckled weakly. "It's just really interesting…"

"What do you see?" Adrien asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, but stepping closer to her.

"Well, I mean, you guys are definitely getting bolder. Risqué even…"  
"Risqué?" Adrien scoffed. "I'd hardly call men's fashion risqué…women's, yeah. But men's…"

"Adrien," Marinette interrupted. "No man in America will be caught dead wearing a V-neck that deep."

Adrien grimaced.

"One thing that's…surprising," she clicked her tongue, "is that no one did this…" she pulled a pair of red skinny-jeans and a black shirt together, then casually tossed a scarf over it. "I mean, that looks like a winning combo to me."

"It does," he said thoughtfully. "Shall we test that theory?"  
"H-how?" Marinette stuttered, turning sharply to him with wide eyes.

Adrien licked his lips slowly. "I'll wear it Monday to work. See what my Dad thinks."

Her eyebrows skyrocketed. "Okay." She said simply, eyes seeming a bit cloudy. Suddenly they cleared. "Would you be willing to open another suitcase…?"

"Of course," he said. "But," he started again, still wrestling if he should tell her. "It's been an hour. Do you need to get home?"

"Oh my God you're right," she jolted. "I really would love to stay but, um…I should see my parents. They'll be worried."

"Right," Adrien said, swallowing. "Can I walk you home?"

"Absolutely," Marinette blinked, surprising herself. "We'll have to finish this another time."

 _Another time?_

Adrien resisted the urge to first pump the air and holler in victory.

"Let's be on our way then, My Lady," Adrien said, taking her arm in his. She smirked but didn't complain, walking in step with him to his apartment's foyer.

After quickly scooping up her two bags, Adrien unlocked the door, led her out, and locked the door again, smiling all the while.

The sun was nearly set by this time, but the dimming reality of their surroundings didn't bother them. They were quiet for the most part, enjoying the cool air and each other's company as they made the short walk to her parent's house.

The lights of the bakery were on, brightly illuminating the sidewalk and the goodies stacked in display cases against the window.

Marinette reached out hesitantly to the door, the bell jingling just slightly with the touch of her fingers.

"It's been so long," she whispered, glancing over to Adrien. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, and opened the door for her.

Their senses were instantly overpowered by the flood of sweetness that met them, and Adrien was warmed to the core. Inside the building was living cheer, everything bright and friendly.

"Mama?" Marinette called, looking towards the back where a staircase disappeared into the ceiling. She unconsciously squeezed his arm tighter, bringing him closer to her chest as she peered up.

A moment passed before a petite Chinese woman appeared, an apron hugging her waist and an icing bag in hand.  
"Marinette?" she asked, disbelief and then joy electrifying her features. "Tom! Marinette's home!" she called behind her, rushing down the steps two at a time.

The woman hugged Marinette fiercely, eyes squeezed shut in utter bliss. "It's so good to see you, sweetie," she hummed into her daughter's hair. Marinette's mother pulled back to hold Marinette at arm's length, tears in her eyes as she quickly glanced over her daughter. "You got home later than I thought you would, I was beginning to worry."

"Oh," Marinette gave a watery smile. "I'm sorry for making you worry. My luggage didn't make it here so I got a bit caught up in that but…my friend Adrien's been helping me. He works at Agreste too." She added quickly.

"Oh that's too bad your luggage hasn't come in," her mother's eyebrows crinkled in worry. "But I'm glad you've made a friend. Adrien, was it?"

Marinette's mother held out a warm hand to him, which he took eagerly and with a bright smile. "It's lovely to meet you Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he breathed. "I've had a wonderful time talking with your daughter-"

"MARINETTE!" a grisly voice thundered, followed by a storm of noise down the back steps. A bearlike man appeared behind Adrien, startling a rather unmanly shriek from him as Marinette was abducted into a bone-crushing hug. "Papa!" she shrieked, arms flailing for control. Adrien gave Mrs. Dupain-Cheng a bewildered look, only to find her looking back at him good naturedly. "This is my husband, Tom," she explained to Adrien. "Would you like to stay for dinner Adrien?"

Adrien gave a weak chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. He saw that Marinette was looking at him, her blue eyes peeking out from over her Papa's shoulder.  
"I'd love to," he said, giving Mrs. Dupain-Cheng a dazzling smile. "That's very kind of you to offer."

XXXXXXX

 **Author's Note:** I'm not kidding about the chicken dance. It works. The Cabbie is Nino; in case you couldn't tell. He will appear again shortly… Also, I think this story will be 4 more chapters, just for a heads-up. It was supposed to be much shorter than this, but…you guys are so awesome! Fair warning it will be an "open end" because, well, this is titled "Possibility" for a reason ^.^ I hope you guys have enjoyed! Feedback and comments are always appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

"Omagaud," Adrien moaned, eyes rolling up to heaven. "This soufflé is _divine_ , Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

The woman chuckled, holding a napkin up to her lips. "I'm glad you're enjoying it Adrien."

Marinette gave Adrien a half smile, barely caught by his peripheral view of her.

"So, Adrien," Marinette's mother started. "Marinette said you're working for Agreste…?"

"Yes," Adrien choked down a mouthful of food. "I'm a model," he said, flashing a brief smile. "I was hoping, actually, that Marinette would sign on to be one of my designers. Once she's established, that is."

The entire family's eyes widened slightly, Marinette's parent's exchanging knowing glances before her mother replied. "I'm sure she was more than ecstatic when you said that."

"Yeah," Adrien drawled, head slumping so he was looking at Marinette. "She wouldn't shut up for a while…"

Marinette blushed scarlet at that, choking a bit before glaring at him. "I was _surprised_ , is all," she spat, hand gripping the table cloth. "It's not every day that your dream comes true."

"So I was your dream?" Adrien muttered, just loud enough for Marinette beside him to hear.

"I mean the job opportunity is amazing!" Marinette exclaimed too loudly, covering up anything her parents could have heard.

Adrien gave Marinette a pointed look, but she refused to meet his gaze and instead turned to stewing around the remnants of her meal.

"And I'm glad it is amazing," Marinette's mother said softly. "Amazing enough to bring you home after so long."

Marinette looked up at that, blue meeting the gray of her mother's eyes.

"I'm glad you're home sweetie," her mother said.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So how were the men of New York?" Marinette's father asked, giving his daughter a nudge as she came into the kitchen with a stack of dishes.

"Uh," Marinette stuttered, freezing mid-step to blush. She shifted the stack of dinner dishes in her arms, fumbling for a moment. "Rather wild." She finally said.

One of her father's bushy eyebrows rose slowly, holding her captive.

"Handsome?" He asked.

"Rugged," she shook her head. "More like…" she made a vague circle around her face with one of her hands. "Cowboyish?" She cocked her head. "Aggressive, even…?"

"Okay?" Her father replied. "So do you think you'll have any lasting friends-"

"Definitely not," Marinette said gravely. "At least not _guy_ friends…"

Her father hummed in response, methodically dipping dishes into water before lathering them with soap and rubbing them clean.

"And Adrien?" He asked quietly.

"What?" Marinette asked, voice squeaking a bit. "What about Adrien?"

"Is he one of those 'not going to be friends' guy friends?" Her father prompted.

"I-," Marinette cut herself off. She huffed, looking up for a moment. "I didn't meet Adrien in New York. We just met on the plane" She said instead.

"Okay," her father said simply, dipping another dish into the soapy liquid. "Well he's welcome here any time, just so you two know. He needs more fat on him too, by the way."

"Yeah," Marinette's eyes narrowed. "Model diet, eh?" She punched her father's shoulder lightly, before pausing. "Thanks," she said, resting her forehead on his broad shoulder.

A moment passed in relative silence, the quiet conversation of Adrien and Marinette's mother floating in from the other room for a moment.

"Let's go play video games," Marinette's father smiled, turning Marinette around into a hug. "It's been too long."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Soooooooo you _haven't_ played Ultra Mecha Strike III?" Marinette asked, one delicate eyebrow perched precariously high upon her forehead.

"No…" Adrien said, staring down at the controller blankly. "I played Ultra Mecha Strike _I_ back in High School, but it's been, like… ten years…" he trailed off. "God that's _depressing_ ," he groaned. "When did I get _old_?"

"You're not old!" Marinette exclaimed, bumping shoulders with him as she wormed over to his side of the couch. A shallow smile appeared on Adrien's face as he looked up from his hands to Marinette. He rather liked her being this close-

Marinette's Papa plopped down beside Marinette, taking up the remaining room on the couch and making Adrien jump slightly. _So much for that moment_.

Behind Marinette's father trailed her mother, carrying a bowl of popcorn.

"You're not playing?" Adrien asked Marinette's mother, offering his controller up to her.

"Oh, no," she said pleasantly. "I've never been one for playing video games. I do enjoy watching you guys plays, however."

"And watching Papa get his butt kicked," Marinette snickered, firing up the game.

"Hey! Not true!" Marinette's father exclaimed. "I win sometimes!"

"But not often," Marinette sing-songed.

Adrien made eye contact with the figure of Marinette's pouting father, only to be met with a determined scowl and eyes glittering with four years of vengeance.

 _Alright then_ , Adrien thought. _So Marinette's good at this game…_

 _3 hours later…_

"What the fuck?!" Adrien exclaimed, throwing down his controller. "Again?! Literally every time I'm sooooo close and then, then," he jabbed an accusing finger at Marinette, "YOU mess it all up!"

"That is my specialty," Marinette said, wiping imaginary dust off her shoulder. "Have you guys submitted to my supreme dominance yet, or do we need another round to prove that I'm better than both of you guys _again_?"  
"Another round!" Adrien hollered, refusing to submit despite the futility of his victory.

Marinette's mother yawned, her father groaned, and Marinette smiled wickedly.

"You're on!" She shrieked, resetting the arena.

"You two," Marinette's father moaned, "can duke this out yourselves. I'm out," he said, throwing up his hands in surrender. "And into bed I go," he said, beginning to trek out of the room.

"Aw, Papa," Marinette paused the game, making Adrien whine in protest.

"It was very nice meeting you, Adrien," her father said. "Feel free to come over any time you want."

"Oh, yes," Adrien said, popping up from the couch instantly as his immaculate shell of manners reformed. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. I had such a wonderful evening with you three…truly, I could not have spent my evening better elsewhere, so thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome Adrien." Marinette's mother said, stepping forward. "And like Tom said, you're welcome any time."

Adrien gave a warm smile to the two, before he was engulfed in a monstrous hug by Marinette's father. He hesitantly hugged back, unsure why his heart was pounding so loudly.

Once released from the beastly hug, Sabine stepped forward, wrapping delicate arms around Adrien's much taller frame. "I hope you'll come again soon," she said softly.

"Ahem," Marinette coughed, dropping her controller back onto the couch. "I guess we're done with the game…" she shyly made eye contact with Adrien, before turning slightly to face her parents.

"I'll show Adrien out," she said to them. "You guys head up to bed."

"Alright," Marinette's mother said, taking her husband by the arm. "Have a good night Adrien."

"And you as well, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, Mr. Dupain-Cheng," he said. He then followed Marinette down the narrow steps to the bakery floor.

"Well that was interesting," Marinette said, reaching the door but stopping there.

"And frustrating," Adrien said, leaning forward to meet her at the door.  
"Frustrating?" she prompted, biting her lip slightly.

"The game, yeah," he said, eyes narrowing playfully. "As well as in other ways..."

"Other ways?" she asked innocently, head tilting up to his.

Adrien swallowed thickly, the air heavy with their mingled breaths.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked quietly, voice tinging on husky, his body freezing but wanting to lean in closer to her.

"Yeah," she breathed, tangling her fingers in his hair to bring his lips down to hers. Almost instantly his hands were on her, one gripping her back and the other her jaw, guiding her closer to him until they were flush against one another.

Electricity and fire were burning through Adrien's body, consuming his senses until he was completely blinded by bliss.

"Marinette," he moaned softly, biting her lower lip to take a breath. She was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling with every breath.

"Adrien?" she asked shakily, blue eyes electrifying him again. "Can you kiss me again," she panted softly.

In response Adrien leaned forward, cupping her jaw to meld their lips together. Their teeth clashed briefly before lips parted and tongues mingled, deepening the kiss.

Then they broke apart, both gasping for breath. She pushed back slightly, bringing him out at arms-length.

"It's late," she said quietly.

"I know," he said, stepping closer to her again. She looked up to him, concern briefly flashing behind her eyes. He froze. "Too fast?" he asked.

She nodded, ever so slightly, retracting her hands from his chest to reach behind her to the door.

Adrien swallowed again, guilt instantly welling up in his throat. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No, don't be," she said, brushing up against him again. "I'm just tired. It's been a long day."

"Right," Adrien said, brushing past her to the cold outside air. He paused, turning back to her.

And Marinette met him in a kiss, surprising him into stepping backwards, before he regained his balance and grasped her tightly.

"I thought you said too fast?" he said, pulling back for breath.

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I definitely think that this should happen again. What do you think?"

"Definitely," Adrien confirmed, his heart hammering and body overheating despite the cold.

"I'll text you tomorrow," he said with a smile, tracing the curve of her bottom lip with both his eyes and his thumb.

"Okay," she said, relinquishing his hand into the night. "Good night, Adrien."

"And good morning to you," he called back, waving over his shoulder as he started out to the sidewalk. He heard her giggle before turning the corner, a profound smile contorting his features for the rest of the walk home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Author's Note** _:_ Ehhhhhh how's it going people? I'm on break but am busier than usual, so I ended up writing this all today -_-

Not that that's a bad thing, I just tend to make more grammatical and spelling mistakes when I write in one sitting. So, I apologize if there are more mistakes than usual…

Anyway! WHOA ACTUAL SMUT FLUFF! (If you can even call it that!). Just so ya guys know, that's about 80% of how raunchy this story will get – nothing explicit (I am sorry) though there will be explicit … implications? Wow I can't explain stuff. Basically, there will be sex, but implied sex (yay).

It's really awkward typing "Mrs. Dupain-Cheng" and "Mr. Dupain-Cheng" repeatedly, so they will be "Tom" and "Sabine" soon if I can help it (which I should I mean sheesh I'm the author pffft).

Please let me know what you guys think! I promise we'll go back to the actual plot (after next chapter that is)! I greatly appreciate feedback and commentary! Thank you and I hope you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** If the text is after [brackets], it's a text message. Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Have you texted Adrien yet?" Marinette's mother asked pointedly, a laundry basket balanced on her hip as she passed Marinette at the kitchen table. "That boy needs more cookies."

Marinette looked up from her phone, where she'd just opened a new text to Adrien. Was her mom psychic or something? "Mama he's not an adopted _stray_ , he's a grown _adult_ ," Marinette rolled her eyes. "He can take care of himself."

"More cookies never hurt," her mother's head tilted with a smile. "You never said if you've texted-"

"-No!" Marinette exclaimed. "God, I just saw him yesterday!" She glared at her unsent message to him. _Was it too soon? Too desperate? He said he was going to text her…_

"I'm sure he'd love to come over again," her mother said, continuing on to the laundry room. "Just let me know if I need to make you two lunch or anything."

Marinette's head slammed into the table, a long frustrated groan making the plates rattle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrien's phone vibrated in his pocket, shocking him out of his stupor. He quickly glanced to his father, seated at the head of the meeting table, but he didn't seem to have noticed any disturbance. The presentation droned on, leaving Adrien to glance down at the lighted screen of his phone.

[New Message] Oh my god my mom is in love with you, I swear.

Adrien's eyebrow crooked skyward. _Marinette?_

He quickly typed out a reply message, heart beating slightly faster with the crime.

[Message from Adrien Agreste] Is this Marinette?

The reply was instant.

[New Message] Yup. How's it going?

Adrien instantly saved the number in his contacts, debating for a moment if he could add a little cat-emoji next to her name.

Flipping back to the message, he quickly typed a reply, hoping beyond hope that he didn't look suspicious staring at his crotch in the middle of a meeting.

[Message from Adrien Agreste] Well I'm at work so…

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Ah. Already? Geez you didn't even get to sleep in one day.

Adrien snickered, then remembered where he was glanced up to the presentation to feign interest for a moment. He felt his father's eyes burning on his face. He looked on a moment longer, before he felt his father look away, earning a release of breath from Adrien.

[Message from Adrien Agreste] What a crime. I guess that's what you get when the boss is your father…

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Ew. Gosh I would hate that. How do you live Adrien Agreste?

Adrien snorted.

[Message from Adrien Agreste] In luxury. How else?

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Pfft. Well. Since you're so rich, I was thinking grabbing dinner would be nice? Tomorrow evening, that is

A pause. Adrien hiccupped, then reread the message. _Dinner? Like a date dinner or a friendly dinner…?_ He shook his head to clear the thought. _She's just a friend, remember?_ He chastised himself. _Not too fast… Even if you kissed…._

He sighed again.

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] I want some more intel on Mr. Agreste before I meet him Monday O.O

Adrien released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His fingers fumbled for a bit before a coherent reply was formed.

[Message from Adrien Agreste] Absolutely! Is 7 good?

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Yeah 7 should work. Do you know of any good places to eat at around here? It's been ages since I've gone out…

Since I've _gone out_? Adrien replayed the line over again in his head, brain ramming headfast into a wall that appeared in the middle of his train of thought. _So, if we're going out…it's like…a date?_

 _A date?_

 _Really?_

 _Like date date? DATE?_

 _She said "gone out," but does that mean…_ His brain short circuited as he shook his head, attempting to clear the thought.

Looking down at his phone, he realized it'd been a full minute since he'd initially read the message. And she knew it'd been _read_!

 _Shit!_

[Message from Adrien Agreste] Uh, yeah! I know of a few places…any particular kind of food you have in mind?

Her reply was instantaneous, making a guilty blush appear on Adrien's face.

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Uh not really. Any type of food is good. Something that's NOT MY HOUSE. (Sheesh mom). Surprise me kitten~

Adrien choked, hurriedly glancing around the room to see if his cover had been blown. All was peaceful... _Alright then._

[Message from Adrien Agreste] I'll pick you up at 7 then Purrincess

Adrien snickered a bit before locking his phone, only for it to buzz and light up again a moment later.

[Message from Marinette ＾・ω・＾] Purrincess? Really? *sigh. See you then

Adrien quickly sent back a winking cat emoji, hoping vainly that Marinette wasn't actually annoyed.

 _Heh…Date on Thursday~_

And his mind was gone after that.

XXXXXXXXXXX

 **Author's Note:** HaHA! Shorter chapter but hey, I'm into the short and sweet stuff. I hope you guys have enjoyed so far and will continue to enjoy! Please let me know if you have any feedback for me. Thanks again and I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings!

Also, I apologize if ＾・ω・＾ doesn't look like a cat to you (it looks like a bear to me). It's honestly the closest (and first) one that I could find ;) Laziness!


	9. Chapter 9

Adrien swallowed roughly, tilting his chin up so he could adjust his tie. For someone who was preened and fawned over for his looks, he was seriously doubting his completion at the moment. Something was just _off._

Was it the tie? No.

His hair? No.

His breathe? No

Cologne? No.

Adrien growled in frustration, raking a hand through his jelled hair to release some of the tension in his body.

Well, there was no use in waiting around any longer. It was _time_.

With another quick glance at the mirror, Adrien gave himself once over. Satisfied that there was nothing in his power to improve himself, he grabbed his keys, locked the door, and sprinted to the elevator, determined to be poignantly and perfectly on time for his date.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

" _Moooooom_ ," Marinette groaned, waving her mother's hands out of her hair. "It's _fine_."

"I want your hair to be perfect," Mama pouted, reaching out to twist a loose curl. "I want Adrien to drop like a fly the moment he sees you, sweetie."

Marinette rolled her eyes, slumping forward in defeat. "Do what you want," she muttered, hand over her mouth as she toyed with the loose makeup brushes scattered across the counter.

Mama smiled softly, twisting a few strands of her daughter's bangs into a loose braid before pinning it above her ear.

"I like this boy," she began softly.

"Do you want to go on the date for me?" Marinette asked, instantly incredulous.

Mama chuckled softly, bringing another pin into her daughter's hair. "No, sweetie. I just want you to know that 'mother approves.'" She smiled again.

"Oh," Marinette said, instantly softening. She fidgeted, looking anywhere but at the mirror in front of her.

"Thanks for doing my hair," she finally said.

Her mother hummed in response, delicately brushing the curls back from her daughter's hairline to form raven waves.  
"What dress are you going to wear?" Her mother asked, catching Marinette's eye in the mirror.

"The one on the bed," Marinette said, calmed by the relaxing tug on her hair.

She felt her mother smile more than she saw it. "The red suits you," she said.

Marinette smothered a smile. "I _am_ a fashion designer, you know."

Her mother chuckled, finishing with her daughter's hair. She stepped back to admire her handiwork. "You like it?" She asked, hands clasped together in front of her.

Marinette smiled at her mother, turning her head to the side to catch a glimpse of the loose braid and bun tucked just above her neck. "It's lovely," Marinette said, smiling at her mother.

Her mother instantly beamed. A moment passed. "I'm curious," she started. "What are you wearing under…?" she asked slyly, head tilted.

"Mom!" Marinette shrieked, instantly standing to push her out the door. "We're not like _that_!"

"Not _yet_ at least-" Her mother started, only for Marinette to slam the door in her face, cheeks burning with humiliation.

"I was just wondering in case you needed something." Her mother's muffled voice came through the door. "I know your stuff hasn't come in from New York yet. I have some old things that may suit you, you know."

"No thanks!" Marinette practically screamed, skipping across the room. No way in _hell_ was she wearing her mother's lingerie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Message from Adrien Agreste] I'm almost there… ;D

Marinette sighed. That was _five minutes ago_. She was jittery, jumping out of her skin at the slightest noise.

 _Where is he?_ She thought. She chewed her lip thoughtfully, glancing at herself in the mirror again. It had been a long time since she'd dressed up like this – and it was making her nervous – it felt out of character.

She inhaled sharply, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The bell downstairs rung. She stiffened.

Instantly her parent's voices rang out, showering compliments on the new arrival.

She released her breath.

"Marinette!" Her mother called. "Adrien's here!"

She didn't trust her voice, so she got up instead, hesitant when she came to the top step.

 _Fuck heels_ , she thought, momentarily sneering at her own garb.

Someone gasped, and she looked up slightly, stunned the he was already at the bottom step, looking up at her like she was all the beauty in the world.

She felt her lips part slightly, but no words came out; she was stuck staring at his eyes, glued to hers.

"Hi," she said, bringing a sledgehammer to the ice freezing them. Instantly he broke into a smile, legs moving faster than she could see until he was right in front of her, on the step below her but their faces at the same height.

"Hi," he whispered, breath mingling with hers. "You look beautiful Purrincess," his eyes wandered down slightly, but then snapped back up to hers with a blush, seemingly remembering that they had an audience.

"Shall we go?" he asked, holding an arm out to her.

"Absolutely," she replied, taking his arm. He helped her down the steps with ease, arm firmly attached to her own with unwavering strength.

"Have fun, you two," Papa smiled, giving Adrien a firm pat on the back on their way out.

"We will!" They glanced at each other, beaming merrily into the bright lights.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marinette frowned thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever had 'Coquilles Saint-Jacques.'"

Adrien hummed. "They're as good as scallops come, in my opinion. Though to be honest, I would recommend the Piperade here."

"Piperade?" Marinette started.

"It's a bit like ratatouille but with more onions."

"Ah." She said. "That sounds like a winner to me." She smiled over at him, still leafing through the menu. "Do you know what you're getting?" She asked.

"I think I'll get the baked camembert," he smirked. "There's something about French camembert that just isn't replicated anywhere else…"

She chuckled, closing her menu and taking a sip of water.

As far as restaurants went, this was by far the most elegant one she had been in. In New York she'd almost always gone out to clubs and bars – but those were no comparison to this. The decor was subtle enough so as to not distract, but it was tasteful in appearance, adding an ambiance of grandeur to the restaurant.

"We're ready," Adrien announced, flagging down a waiter.

"What would the lady like?" The man asked politely, refilling her water with a notepad in hand.

"I'd like the Piperade," she said, eyes locked with Adrien's.

"An excellent choice," the waiter smiled. "And what kind of wine would you like with that?"

"Uh…" Marinette trailed off, worry creeping into her expression.

"We'll have a bottle of the house red," Adrien cut in with a smile.  
The waiter nodded, writing a note on the paper. "And what would you like for dinner Monsieur?"

"The baked camembert, if you will" he handed the menu over to the waiter, taking Marinette's menu in his other hand. "Thank you."

The waiter exited with a flourished bow.

"This place is so fancy," Marinette mouthed.

Adrien simply smiled, head resting on his fist.

"What?" she asked, noticing that he was still staring at her.

He shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "You."

Marinette's eyes narrowed. "You're doing that thing again."

"What thing?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The thing you kept doing on the plane where you just creepily stare at me until I ask you to stop."

"You haven't asked me to stop," he smiled, leaning forward.

She blushed. "True."

"The House Red," a waiter interrupted, setting the bottle on the table.

"Ah, thank you," Adrien purred, instantly grasping the bottle. He poured them each a glass, then set the bottle in the ice bin.

"To our jobs at Agreste?" He proposed, lifting his glass in a toast.

"And for meeting each other," Marinette quipped, clinking her glass with his.

Adrien hummed in approval, the glass already to his lips. He set the glass down, a satisfied look on his face. "I'm glad I met you," he said simply.

Marinette snorted into her wine glass, the sincerity of his expression catching her off guard. "May I ask why?" She asked.

"Because I like you," he answered. "You're very expressive, and it's fun being around you."

"So I entertain you?" she chuckled.

He broke into a smile. "That and more."

Her breathe caught. _That and more_.

"So why are you glad you met me?" He asked, a light smirk on his face.

"Well," Marinette started, trying to tame the blush on her face. "Aside from the fact that I'll get to know _somebody_ at my new work, it's refreshing to meet someone who seems to genuinely care about my work."

"Oh." Adrien's eyes popped. "So, I'm guessing in New York-"

She grimaced, making him stop.

"Right," he said, catching her eye. "I don't really want to talk about New York either..."

She smiled, taking his hand. "Not that I'm glad I went there…if I hadn't…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "I'm just glad." He returned the soft smile, squeezing her hands in his own. If the eye contact was too long, they didn't notice.

"The Piperade and Baked Camembert," a crisp voice interjected.

They both turned to the waiter with their food, twin blushes sparkling on their cheeks.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"No!" Adrien shrieked, weakly battling her fork away. "I'm going to explode if I eat anymore!"

"That's not a bad thing," Marinette snorted, reaching to him again.

"Uh," his eyebrow furrowed. "Last I checked, _exploding was a bad thing_."

"Not if you're exploding with food," Marinette smiled, taking a swipe of whipped cream from the cake. She smirked before breaking out into a wicked grin, lurching across the table to dab the cream onto his nose.

"There," she said. "Now you have a kitten nose."

Adrien went cross-eyed trying to see, but gave up, giving a flat glare to Marinette instead.

"I do not feel like a cat." He said.

She smirked. "Well you look like one to me."

"With my 'freakishly luminescent eyes?'" he echoed, a playful glare contorting his features.

"You remember that?" She giggled, hiding behind her napkin.

"Of course," he shrugged, taking another forkful of cake to spite her. "It was the first time you complimented me."

"That was a compliment?"

"I'm going to think it was. Don't ruin the memory for me."

"Pfft," she rolled her eyes. "Alright."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Soon enough they were back in front of her parent's house, a single light left on for her ease of entrance.

"I guess this is where we say goodnight," Adrien said, eyes burning brightly in the darkness. Marinette turned back to him, a soft smile parting her lips.

"Thank you, Adrien," she said, looking him in the eye sincerely. "I had a wonderful time."

"Me too," he broke out into a smile, holding her hands tightly in his own. He brought her hands up to his lips, kissing each of her knuckles delicately to bring a blush to her face.

"So, I'm just curious," a voice interrupted from behind them. Instantly Adrien froze, eyes widening in alarm. "But are you _sure_ you guys aren't a _thing_?"

Marinette whipped around, blushing profusely to lock her eyes on the cabbie driver, leaning casually against his car, arms crossed.

She blinked, once, twice, before fully seeing him. She hadn't even heard the car coming! "Excuse me?" she stuttered, hands curling against Adrien's.

"I asked," the cabbie repeated, chin dropping in disbelief, "if you guys are a _thing_. You didn't seem so sure of it last time I asked."

Marinette pursed her lips, giving the cabbie a sidelong glare before replying. "What are you even doing here?"

"I have you bags," a new voice pipped up, the brunette flight attendant appearing from the passenger seat. "They finally came in!" She beamed at Marinette, who was still standing stiffly beside a dumbstruck Adrien.

"What…?" Adrien finally said, looking like a deer in the headlights.

Marinette simply raised her eyebrow at him. His mind was obviously _elsewhere_ at the moment…

"Oh!" Marinette said with false cheer, breaking hands with Adrien. "What… _fabulous_ timing you two have…"

The flight attendant broke out into a wicked smile.

"Sorry," she began apologetically. "We figured you wanted them right away, so…"

"It's fine," Marinette smiled," opening the back of the cab to begin pulling out her bags. "I'm just glad they're finally here."

"Oh yay," Adrien said in a flat voice. "Fabulous timing indeed."

"You'll get your chance later," the flight attendant whispered, sidling up next to Adrien. "I'm actually a bit surprised to see you here to be honest."

"I'm surprised to see you too," Adrien said, biting off the bitterness of his tone.

"Well at least you got your girl," she shrugged, lugging a suitcase out of the back.

"But-" Adrien cut himself upon Marinette's approach.

Together Marinette and the cabbie lifted a particularly heavy bag out of the bag, trekking together to bring it to the front of her house.

Marinette's eyes narrowed at the cabbie. She was still burning with embarrassment from the interruption earlier. _It was time for_ _payback._

"So, Nino," she began, grunting with the weight of the bag. "Are you and Alya a _thing_?" The man instantly blushed, seemingly wanting to back away but being unable to with the bag in hand. He chuckled awkwardly, looking at Marinette like she was spewing poison, then gurgled something unintelligible.

Marinette smirked. _Bingo._

After a minute of blubbering, she put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Good luck with that," she nodded at him, striding off.

"What was that?" Adrien whispered, walking past with a quizzical look.

"Payback," Marinette smirked, reaching for another bag.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Author's Note:**

I told you they'd show up again (eyebrow wiggle).

Awkward side note, but at some point I wrote something about Adrien "resting his hand on his chin" but LUCKILY I caught it with one of those "wait" moments of intense confusion. No duh your head is on your chin…pfft

Originally there was going to be an implied sex-scene but I've taken that out due to a guest's review – I'll leave it as a _possibility_ (sorry for the title drop) for their future, so that you guys can decide how the relationship plays out in the end ;)

Just to give you a heads up, the next chapter will be the last chapter. Be prepared for…the _possibility_ …of anything… (don't really, it's not that surprising). ALSO: I will probably end up updating later this weekend just 'cause.

I hope you've enjoyed! I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you think! Thanks again!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** LAST CHAPTER PEEPS. Fair warning: this chapter contains some raunchy content. I hope you enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Marinette's First Day at Work:_

"I'm feeling a bit like a life-sized Barbie at the moment." Adrien stated.

"Pffft," Marinette waved her hand at him in dismissal. "This is your job, kitty. Besides," she fastened a measuring tape around his bare chest. "I'd say you're more of a Ken doll."

He cringed. "That's not any better."

A moment of silence passed, Adrien's ears straining to hear the fading clack of heels in the hall.

"Are we alone?" Adrien whispered.

"I think so, why do you a-ah!" She shrieked, fending off his straying hands. "Hey! Hands off! I'm not done measuring!"

"Aww," he sighed, straightening up. "This isn't fair; you get to touch me but _I_ -"

"Adrien," a firm voice broke in, making both of them stiffen. "Are you harassing the new employee?" Adrien's father stood at the entrance to the room, arms clasped behind his back.

"Of course not, Father," Adrien blubbered, burning red.

"Good. That would be rather despicable for you to give a bad impression on her first day."

"Yes, of course, Father," Adrien said again, a frown masking his features. Gabriel nodded at Marinette. "Carry on," he said. "You need those measurements as soon as possible to start your work."

Marinette nodded back at him, too embarrassed to speak.

A tense moment of silence passed as they listened to his footsteps fade.

"Oh my God," Adrien finally whispered. "That…that could have been _bad_."

"Because of _you_ ," Marinette sneered, a smile quickly replacing the expression. "And your inappropriately wandering hands..."

"That's not my fault!" Adrien exclaimed, hands fluttering by his face. "They do it automatically or something-"

She rolled her eyes, turning to write something down in her notebook.

"I need you to take off your belt," she said, still scribbling something with her back facing Adrien.

" _What?_ " He shrieked, energy spiking in his veins.

"Take. Off. Your. Belt." Marinette repeated, slashing through something she'd written earlier in the notepad.

Adrien's brow furrowed for a moment; then: silence.

"Just the belt?" he asked, a smirk evident in his voice.

She whipped around, giving him the stink eye, only to find him stripping all too eagerly, fingers in the waistband of his jeans. " _Just the belt!_ " She shrieked, hoping she wasn't overheard.

"I know, _I know_ ," he soothed her, dropping the belt to the floor. "But if you want the _best_ hip measurement, the pants need to be off. That way there's less fabric in the way to throw off your measurement."

"That's…" _true. Damn him_ … "No…" she muttered, face burning.

Her grimace turned into a frown, his cheery smile throwing her off. She frowned, approaching him with the measuring tape in hand. "You are _way_ too happy," she noted.

He smiled wider, hands weighing his jeans down an inch.

 _Good god,_ she sucked in a breath. _Do not look down, Marinette._

"Why are your eyes closed?" Adrien's voice interrupted. "Are you…trying not to look?" She could hear the smile in his voice.

 _Fuck you_ , Marinette thought. _It's not my fault you look like freaking Adonis and can make any girl literally melt just by looking at them. With a shirt_ _on_ _nonetheless!_

"Here, I'll guide you," she felt him take her hands, leading her forward until her knuckles were brushing his abdomen - _his incredibly muscly abdomen that was dangerously close to_ –

She inhaled sharply, feeling the measuring tape slip out of her hands, Adrien having took it from her to wind it around his hips. He placed it back in her hands gently.

She stood frozen, contemplating her next move before he shifted slightly, making her stiffen.

"Wait what are you-" she started, hands trembling.

"Just getting a better measurement," he sang, sliding his jeans down a few inches.

 _God he had better not have taken his pants off_ , her feverish mind fumed.

"What's the measurement?" she asked, voice wavering.

"Oh," she could hear the arrogance in his voice. "You'll have to read it."

" _Adrien_ ," she growled, hands fisting around the tape. "You're _not_ helping."

"I _am_ helping you," he purred. "Just open your eyes, Purrincess."

For a second she considered punching him in the face, but then thought better of it. She'd probably lose her job…and her friend.

After an intense moment of contemplation, and three deep breaths, she opened her eyes to look into Adrien's. He was smiling softly, hands clasping her own.

"That wasn't so hard," he said, coy smile lighting his features.

"No," she said softly, eyes wide. "That was kind of a jerk move though." She muttered. He continued to smile at her slyly, eyes flickering downward sporadically as if to remind her of her occupation.

 _As if I'd forget_ , Marinette thought, internally eye rolling. She smirked, tightening her grip on the measuring tape around his hips. _You asked for it kitty…_

In one motion she tugged the tape closer to her, making Adrien stumble into her until they were chest to chest, her face pressed into his shoulder as he attempted to regain his balance.

"Hey!" he fidgeted, attempting to step back for modesty's sake but failing. Instantly a blush erupted on his face, every part of his body pressed flush against Marinette's.

"What are you doing?" he gasped, voice tickling her scalp. His body was shuddering against hers, but he couldn't back away.

"Exactly what you want," she muttered, lips an inch from his throat.

He blushed, hard, swallowing thickly, only for his Adam's apple to brush against her lips.

"W-why?" He stuttered, trying vainly to give himself some distance before something embarrassing made its presence known. _Was this a dream?_

"Because I need a _very specific_ measurement," she smirked into his neck, lips closing around a soft spot. He choked, suppressing a moan. _This was happening…_

"Yeah, well…" he was having trouble making a sentence. "The tape's down there, so…" he trailed off roughly, squirming against her touch.

"I know," came her curt reply. Instantly her lips moved, beginning a trail down his chest.

 _Oh FUCK,_ Adrien thought. "Door," he said breathlessly, his last intelligible thought escaping.

She hummed in response, mouth busy. She tugged him with her until her back was to the door. Adrien fumbled with the lock, hands feeling clumsy.

Then she bit, eliciting a strangled groan from Adrien. "Marinette," he whined. "No marks, please," he begged. "Photo shoot tomorrow…"

She licked the wound, planting a soft kiss on top of it. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he muttered, fighting his instinct to grab her and kiss her roughly.

 _Fuck, why not?_ He thought, body instantly folding so he was on his knees before her, hands on her face and mouth on her lips.

She pulled away, "Nah, ah," she said, planting a finger on his lips. "I'm not _done_ yet."

He was about to protest but her lips silenced him, appeasing him momentarily before she resumed her trail of kisses.

God, he could melt into a puddle right there…

"Mmmm," she hummed, taking a breath to look him in the eye. She planted a soft kiss just above his waistline, lips hovering there for a moment. Her smile then turned wicked. "All done," she sang, standing up with the measuring tape in hand.

 _What_ , he thought, mind screeching to a halt. _Done?_

"I have work to do, Kitty," she said, seemingly reading his mind. "You do too," she looked down, pointedly at his rather pronounced erection.

"You could help me-" he started, trying to smile.

"Nope."

" _Marinette_ ," he whined.

"That's what you get for being a jerk," she smiled, opening the door for herself. "You get to jerk off yourself." She smiled, halfway out the door. "But oh," she turned back to his defeated form, crouching down to his level once more. "I'll just say this. It's a _possibility_. For the future, that is."

He smiled halfheartedly, watching her retreating form ruefully. _A possibility?_ He thought. _Well, there's hope at least_ … _I can work with that.._.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Message from Kitten] Dinner tonight?

Marinette smirked, stealing a quick look at Adrien's fleeting form down the hallway. He winked at her, flashing his trademark meld-your-panties smile before slinking around a corner.

[Message from The Purrincess ＾・ω・＾] You're _on._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Author's Note:** Aaaaaand I'm going to end it there (don't hate me please I need to live to see the next season). I sincerely hope you guys have enjoyed this story~ Thank you so much for sticking with it, and for all the kind words! Considering that this was supposed to remain on the airplane, you guys have truly pushed me beyond what I would do by myself, so thank you!

In case you guys are interested, I'm going to be posting another Miraculous universe story soon titled "Poison Candy." It's another AU but with a more dramatically different universe – this universe is a bit of a dystopia but Ladybug and Chat Noir will be in there (though they won't be our traditional super heroes). I'm actually pretty pumped for it (which means there is an actual plot skeleton so whoo!).

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who has gotten even one bit of joy out of this story. It means everything to me if I can make someone smile J Have awesome lives, all of you!


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